Material handling mechanism



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 K. A. LINDNER ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15,

INVENTOR 5 KARL A LINDNER. BARTE D1 SAN s ATTORN May 28, 1940.

May 19 K. A. LINDNER El AL MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l y )l INVENTORS KARL /-\.LINDNER BARTEL DI SANTo 5 ATTORNEY May K. A. LINDNER ETAL MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1938 '6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS KARL Aimomaa BARTEL DrSmno BY ATTORNEz y 28, 1940- K. A. LINDN ER ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Shed 5 Filed Nov. 15, 1938 INVENTORS KARL A. LINDNER BA RTEL D'| Smno ram 6 71. ATTORNE y 1940' K. A. LINDNER ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed NOV. 15, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS KARL A.LINDNER BAR EL DI Smrro ATT Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM mm, A. Lindner, Plainfleld, and Bartel Di Santo,

Woodbridge, N. J

assignors -to' American smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 15, I938, Serial No. 241,148

21 Claims.

The present invention pertains to an improved system of apparatus for the continuous casting being provided with cooling means for extracting heat from the molten metal, and effecting solidification of the metal in the said congelation chamber. The channel is first closed from its delivery end by a starting rod of the metal being cast, which is held in position so as to plug the delivery end of the channel, so that as the molten metal being cast passes into the channel, it welds to the starting rod and becomes solidified, so that as the starting rod is withdrawn from the die, the newly solidified metal is Withdrawn also, the molten metal from the supply or reservoir thereof continuously entering the die and solidifying therein in conformity with the rate of withdrawal of the cast metal from the delivery end ,of the die.

Of course the actual operation of the continu I ous casting procedureis far from being as simple as the above outline of the operation might indicate, especially where pure copper, or essentially pure copper is being produced, many probcial development of the process; and the solution of which problems has entailed a great,

amountof detailedresearch' work and the expenditure of large amounts of money in bringing the operations ,to a commercial scale. However,

in general outline, the procedure follows "the above sk'eleton'ized description of the operations.

This procedure has been developed to the point where it is feasiblejto cast copper, or other rod,

of various diameters on a commercial scale, such rod having been produced in diameters ranging from less than inch to-more than three inches, the demands of the trade being fulfilled I both as to diameter and quality or soundness of the casting. v In carrying out the operations of continuous casting at commercial casting speeds and with the heat extracted from the metal through the die, as distinguished from extraction of heat by conduction longitudinally through the rod, the metal is found to possess a distinctive crystalline structure wherein the crystals of the metal extend radially from the longitudinal axis of the rod being cast, and are inclined at least 45 to the said axis in the direction of the movement of the rod during casting, this angle approaching 90 with respect to' the axis of the rod as the casting speed is increased.

This radial orientation of the crystals causes the crystals to terminate at the surface of the rod being cast, with the result that there may be a tendency to form outcroppings of the crystal ends with consequent formation of certain irregularities or unevenness in the surface of the casting, which however, is clean and bright, since the rod is produced customarily in a graphite die and isbrought to below oxidizing temperatures while in a reducing environment. In order to improve the surface of the castings, especially where the castings are of large diameter (billets) it is proposed to machine the said billets in order to remove any irregularities in the surface thereof; and the present invention provides an arrangement of a billet plant wherein the billets are produced by continuous casting, out into suitable length, conveyed to the billet scalping machine and there machined, all without interruption to the strictly continuous operation of the casting procedure, thereby assuring maximum output of mechanically perfect continuously castv billets with the minimum of mechanical handling, and wherein the instrumentalities for carrying out the various manipulations are so co-ordinated as to their operation so that the cast metal is withdrawn continuously and without interruption from the casting furnace and the billets produced therefrom are delivered automatically to the scalping mechanism in accordance with the capacity of the latter, so

"that the entire procedure is carried on smoothly without interruption and with the maximum output of finished billets.

Further objects and advantages of the present improved construction will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of, novelty will be pointed out in particularity in the appended claims; and the invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combina-- tion of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

The invention Will be understood more readily by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan'view of a plant lay-out in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2- is a sectional elevation of a portion of the assembly shown in Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the several furnaces and parts of the apparatus immediately associated therewith,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus showing mechanism for relative adjustment of the cooling jacket with the casting die or mold,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a form of mechanism for delivering billets from the sawing mechanism to conveying instrumentalities for transfer of the billets to the boring machine,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the transfer mechanism shown in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a viewtaken' on the line 8-8 of Fig. 'l,

and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of the billet transfer control as applied to a plurality of stations.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the general lay-out of the apparatus is illus trated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the system of the present invention comprises a melting furnace A for the metal to be cast, (e. g. copper or copper-base alloys) for melting and refining the said metal,-

the said furnace A communicating with tilting furnaces indicated at B and C by means of a. launder' which is shiftable from the melting furnace A to each of the tilting furnaces B and C for charging the latter as required with refined molten metal which is to'be cast, and which may be refined further as may be required, the metal being discharged from the launder D into the furnaces B and C through suitable charge ports E and F.

Tilting furnaces B and C -are arranged to pour metal therefrom into a ladle G which is tiltably mounted on a car H traveling along track J. Disposed at a plurality of stations along track J are any desired number of casting furnaces K, the construction of which may vary between wide limits, and which receive molten metal from ladle G. Each of the furnaces K is provided with a casting die for continuously casting the metal, and means for withdrawing the metal from the die in accordance with the rate of solidification of the metal in the die, and with instrumentalities for cutting and handling the billets into predetermined lengths during the course of the casting operations, all of which mechanism will be referred/to in greater detail hereinafter. I

The casting furnaces K are adapted to cast continuously large diameter rods which are convertible into billets by being cut off into suitable lengths through the instrumentalities of sawing mechanism provided beneath each furnace, as are illustrated at L. The cut billets are guided by novel guide instrumentalities which will be described hereinafter in detail, onto a suitable conveyor M, which discharges the billets onto inclined rails N leading to a boring or cupping machine 0, where one end of the billet is drilled to provide a recessed guide for a piercing tool in the fabrication of tubes or pipes, from which cupping machine the billets are transferred along into the die compartment 56.

suitable inclined rails P to a scalping machine Q, where the surfaces of the billets are machined.

Reference may. now be had to Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the melting furnace A is mountt ed on a working floor or platform ll, which issupported by framework 20 above the level of the tilting furnace B, which in turn is supported on a working platform 22 carried by framework 24. A hood 28 surmounts the tilting furnace, the hood 26 leading to a flue-28 through pipe 2|.

The furnace B is tilted through any suitable in-.

strumentalities, which maybe illustrated by a hydraulic ram 32, the furnace being provided with annular tracks 34 for enabling the furnace B to be tilted.

Each of the furnaces B has sufficient capacity to provide an adequate reserve of molten metal to maintain the casting furnaces K fully supplied with metal at the casting rates which are employed, and the melting furnace is of still sufflciently larger capacity to provide a .supply of molten metal to the tilting furnaces in order to maintain these latter adequately supplied.

Each of the tilting furnaces is provided with a discharge port 36, and a discharge lip 38 which guides the metal being discharged from the furnaces B into the ladle G. It will be apparent that the ladle may be run along on its car to the respective stations for receiving metal from the tilting furnaces and for discharging the molten metal into the casting furnaces. It will be apparent, therefore, that the metal from the from the ladle into the casting furnaces. The

ladle is tilted by any convenient mechanism, such as that illustrated by a hydraulic ram 40, for example.

The metal discharges from the ladle G into the charge port 42 of the respective casting furnaces K. In view of the fact that the metal in the casting furnaces is to be supplied to the casting die in deoxidized condition, it is important to maintain a non-oxidizing atmosphere in the furnace, and to seal the furnace against intake of air.

Fig. 2 shows, rather diagrammatically, a suitable construction of the casting furnaces. It will be seen that the furnace comprises the lower portion 44 and a top 46, the top and bottom portions being sealed together by means of a suitable seal designated at 48. This seal may be of any suitable construction.

tom portion 44, and in view of the protection against oxidation and to insure the maintenance of substantially oxygen-free metal at the casting dies, the metal-containing hearth of the furnaces 44' may be lined with graphite or other suitable carbonaceous material, such as that which is designated at 50. This hearth is divided by a partition 52, thereby dividing the hearth into two compartments, compartment 54 being the metal-receiving compartment, and compartment 56 being the casting compartment. Port 58 through the bottom of the partition member 52 permits metal to flow from the compartment 54 The partition member 52 is also made out of graphite or other carbonaceous material. It will be seen, additionally, that the intake port 42 is provided with a graphite liner, which conveniently may be a graphite or carbon pipe inserted through the furnace wall and discharging onto the hearth 04.

Casting die 60 communicates with the interior of the casting compartment 56, the die 60 being composed preferably of hard, dense graphite. It will be seen from this description that the molten metal is subjected entirely to carbon surfaces from the time it" leaves the ladle until it becomes solidified in the die; and this contact with carbon assures a complete deoxidation of the metal by the time it reaches the casting die. The casting furnaces K are heated in each instance by a suitable means, such as, preferably, graphite resistors.

The casting die is composed of two sections, the solidifying section 60, which is a relatively short section and a relatively long auxiliary section 64, which serves to condition the cast metal after solidification thereof.

The die section 60 is enclosed in a cooling jacket 66, which may be rendered adjustable so as to enable the water jacket 66 to be shifted relative to the die section 60 when occasion for such adjustment arises. An adjustable collar 68 may also be provided, for supporting a plurality of cooling jackets I0. Consequently, all of the water jackets above the collar 68 are adjustable relative to the rod and to the casting die.

Adjustment is effected by the provision of suitable connecting rods I2 which operate on a screw shaft I4, the shaft 14 operating through the medium of a pairv of intermeshing bevel gears I6 and 18, which may be turned by any suitable tool, such as a handle or crank not shown.

Engaging the screw shaft I4 is a connector 80, this connector comprising a sleeve which suitably rides on guide shafts I96, as will be apparent from Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 for example. This mechanism renders the entire series of cooling means adjustable with respect to the die and the rod being cast. The bottom water jackets 82 rest upon a flange 84 on a sleeve 85, which is suitably supported in a stud 86, the sleeve 85 being of suflicient diameter to enable the cast rod to pass freely through it.

The collar 68 is similarly adjustably supported by arms 88 which are welded, or otherwise united to a movable sleeve member 202 which operates along a second screw shaft 92, which shaft is actuated by bevel gears 94 and 96 in a manner similar to that described above.

It is thought that this construction will be clear from Fig. 3. v

The rod is withdrawn from the die by a mechanism including cooperating power actuated feed rolls 98, 98' and I00, I00, these rolls engaging the rod on both sides and at a plu-. rality of stations along the rod so as to maintain the rod rigidly supported in true alignment with the die. These rollers desirably are yieldably mounted so as to become self-accommodating to varying diameters of the rod. They are driven by suitable power transmitting instrumentalities, not shown, which take power from a suitable source thereof.

Disposed in the path of travel of the cast rod is a power actuated saw I02, which is carried by a housing I04 which is vertically movable on supporting standards I06, I08, so that the saw blade will travel with the rod that is being sawed in conformity with the rate of withdrawal of the rod, so as to complete the sawing operation without any interference with the withdrawing of the rod. When the resulting billet has been cut, suitable hydraulic mechanism, the details of which are not shown herein, returns the saw and housing to the original position at the start of the cut.

As each billet, as indicated at I09, is severed,

it drops into guiding instrumentalities, indicated at IIO, by which the billets are guided onto the conveyor M, which conveys the billets The details of this guiding mechanism for the billets is shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive.

This guiding mechanism comprises, specifically, a channel. member II8 to one side of which is welded a plate I20 which is curved as shown in Fig. 7 so as to extend over the opening of the channel, as is shown in Fig. 7, so as to leave a sufficient space I22 for receiving the billet between the channelmember H8 and the plate I20, the plate I20 retaining the billet so as to prevent its falling out from the guiding mechanism until the latter assumes discharging position as will be described in detail hereinafter. This guiding mechanism is held releasably in vertical position so as to catch the billets as they drop from the saw, the space I22 therefore being in alignment with the path of movement of the billet. A round bar I24 is suitably fiattened adjacent to one end as indicated at I26,

' the supporting frame-work for the casting furnaces, to which standards also is welded an additional angle support I40. The channel H8 and its plate I20 consequently are turnably mounted with the bar I24, being held against slipping on its shaft I24 by set collars I35 and I31, and remain normally in approximately vertical position because of the shaft I24 being mounted somewhat above' the horizontal center line of the channel and its plate, so that stable equilibrium of this assembly is in its substantially vertical position for receiving the billets. The channel H8 and its plate I 20 are releasably held in billet receiving position by a latching mechanism which is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8.

This latching mechanism comprises a base plate I42 having adjacent to one end an internally threaded stud I44 thereon which receives a screw bolt I46 which is adjustable as to height in the stud I44. An upright pin I 48 serves as a retaining guide for a compression spring I50, which bears against the underside of a locking plate I52 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft I54 bearing in side plates I56, I58 and held in position by suitable lock nuts. The pivot shaft I 54 is offset from the center of the plate I52 so that the latter normally rests in horizontal position with the head I64 of the adjusting screw I46 serving as supporting abutment for the plate I52 beneath one end of the plate, the opposite end of the plate I52 resting upon the spring I50. A lug I66 is provided on the plate I52 and there is also an abutment I68 at the end of the plate I52 which serves as a latch to normally hold the channel H8 in upright position to receive the billets.

When a billetis sawed off and drops into the channel II8, it falls, guided by the channel H8 and plate I28, until it strikes against the lug I88. The weight of the billet and the force of impact against the lug, causes the plate I52 to pivot upon shaft I54 untii'the lug I88 disengages from the channel II8 to release the latter, which then tips under the action of the billets to cause the billets to roll out through the space I22 onto a plate I18 which leads to the conveyor belt II2, down which plate the billet rolls to the conveyor belt. e

The base plate I42 is bolted to the concrete floor of the casting pit so as to render the said mechanism fixed with respect to the billet guiding means, the base plate being secured directly to a concrete, or the like, cushion I14.

/ It is desirable to prevent an excessive number of billets reaching the conveyor and accumulating at the cupping or scalping machines. In order to facilitate a regular control of feed of the billets to the conveyor, there may be interposed between the plate I18and the conveyor I I2 at each of the casting stations disposed along the conveyor, feeding devices for thebillets, which comprise, at each station, a pair of rotatable cam members, the surfaces of which are provided with corresponding grooves in which one billet at a time is adapted to be received and deposited upon the conveyor, the remaining billets, which may be discharged by the guiding mechanism, previously described, onto the plate being held back during the rotation of the cam, so that only one billet at a time will be deposited upon. the conveyor; and since the rotating cam discs at each casting station are offset with respect to the remaining members, it follows that the billets willbe distributed along the conveyor in such a way that they will reach the cupping machine at such intervals that the operations upon one of the billets will be completed before the next succeeding billet arrives at the machine.

I in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, it will be seen that there is provided a' drive shaft I16 which is common to each of the casting stations. Each of the plates I18 upon which the billets I12 are deposited by the billet-guiding mechanism is provided with two slits I18 and I88, through which operate the cam members I82, which are rotatably mounted upon the shaft I16, and which are provided with peripheral, arcuate grooves I84, the curvature of which groove in each case is substantially the same as the circumferential curvature of the billet, the result being that with 'each rotation of the cams I82, a billet will be picked up in the corresponding grooves I84 of the respective pairs of cam members, and this billet will be deposited upon the conveyor II2 while the remaining billets upon the plates I18 I are held back by the uninterrupted portion of the surfaces of the cams. V

The common drive shaft I16 is operated by a suitable source of power, such as a motor I86 in Fig. 9, which drives the shaft by means of a belt I88 which passes around a pulley. I98 mounted on the shaft I16, and also around a pulley I92 on speed reducing mechanism I94. Obviously, the grooves I84 on each pair of cams are in alignment in order to receive the billets I12 successively, as has been described above, and deposits these billets lengthways upon the conveyor belt H2, but the grooves of each pair of cams are offset with respect to the grooves of every other pair, so that the billets will be deposited upon the conveyor in a timed relation which obviates any tendency of excessive piling of the billets upon the conveyor, and at the same time delivers these billets at'suitable intervals to the cupping machine.

Reference may now be hadto Figs. 3, 4 and 5. which show full details of the mounting of the adjustment instrumentalities for the water lackets. In practice it is found that in starting up the casting operations it is desirable to have the water jackets lowered relative to the dies as far as possible, so that the cooling zone of the metal in the dies will be, initially, somewhere toward the outlet of the die; the water jacket being raised relatively to the die as the casting speedis increased, so as to shorten the freezing zone,

it being apparent, of course,-that when the cast- I ing operation is first started, the relatively long cooling zone results from the initial slow speed. and that as the cast-rate is increased, the freezing zone becomes shorter, so that in order to correspond to,this variation in casting speeds, in order to assure an eflicient cooling, it is necessary to provide means for evenly raising the water jacket around the die. Consequently, there are provided the supporting arms and the screw shaft referred to above, together with the internally threaded connection or bracket which rides on the screw shaft and which carries the arms on which the water jacket is mounted. It is obvious, also that the movement of the water acket shall be entirely parallel with the die, so that there will be no tendency' of the water acket to bind against the die during the adjustment. Consequently, supports additional to those afforded by the screw shafts are provided, these supports being indicated by the standards I96 and I98 as shown on Figs. 3,4 and 5. These standards have smooth surfaces, and collars 288 and .282 ride thereon, these collars being specifically a portion of the brackets which are mounted on the screw shafts 88 and 98, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the collar 288 carrying directly the arms 12 for the upper water jacket, and the collar 282 directly carrying the arm 88 of the collar 68 upon which are supported the water ackets of the upper section of'the cooling system. These water jackets are indicated by numeral 18 as have been described above, it being found in practice to employ split jackets which may be simply placed around the billet as the latter is being withdrawn, the number of such ackets being increased as the casting speed is increased. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a plurality of casting furnaces located ata mult1ple of-operating stations for continuously castmg the metal, mechanism for machining the cast billets, a melting furnace for melting metal to be cast, a second furnace for receiving metal from the melting furnace and for holding a supply of the metal in molten and refined c ondition for introduction into the casting furnaces, means for 6 determined rate to the conveying mechanism for preventingovercrowding of the billets at the machining mechanism.

2. Apparatus for producing metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a plurality of casting furnaces located at a multiple of operating stations for continuously casting the metal, mechanism for machining the cast billets, a melting furnace for melting metal to be cast, a second furnace for receiving metal from the melting furnace and for holding a supply of the metal in molten and refined condition for introduction into the casting furnaces, means for transferring metal from the holding furnace to any selected casting furnace for replenishing the supply of metal in the casting furnaces, instrumentalities for cutting the cast metal into successive billets, conveying mechanism for con-,

veying the billets to the said machining mechanism, and means for receiving the said billets from the said cutting instrumentalities and for guiding the said billets to the conveying mechanism.

3. Apparatus for producing metallic billets by continuous casting comprising the combination with a continuous casting furnace,of means for continuously withdrawing cast metal from the furnace, means for severing .the cast metal into successive billets as the said metal is withdrawn from the furnace, means for conveying the severed billets from the location of the furnace, and guide means for receiving the billets as severed by the severing means and guiding the said billets to the said conveying means.

4. Apparatus for producing metallic billets by continuous casting comprising the combination with a continuous casting furnace, of means for continuously withdrawing cast metal from the furnace, means for converting the cast metal into billets, means for conveying the billets from the location of the furnace, and billet receiving means for receiving the said billets from the conveying mechanism, the said means being adapted to pass from billet-receiving position to discharging position responsively to receiving a billet from the said converting means for discharging the said billet from the billet-receiving means.

- 5. Apparatus for producing metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of means for receiving the bi]- lets from the casting instrumentalities, mounting mechanism for the receiving'mean's for enabling the receiving means to shift from receiving to discharging positions responsively to entry of a billet into the said receiving means and to return to billetreceiving position incident to discharge of the billet from the said means, and mechanism for releasably holding the said receiving means in billet receiving position. v

6. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of means for receiving the billets and for transferring the said billets from the casting instrumentalities to a predetermined discharge position responsively to reception of a billet into the said means-devices for enabling the said means to turn from billet receiving to billet discharging position responsively to reception of'a billet into the said means, and back again into receiving position when the billet is discharged, and releasable latching mechanism for the said means operable responsively to reception of the billet in the said means to release the latter, and automatically latching the said means incident to return thereof to latching position.

7. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets comprising the combination with billet'casting instrumentalities, of means for receiving the billets from the casting instrumentalities and shifting the same to a predetermined discharge position responsively to entrance of a billet into the said means, andmounting devices for the said means positioned on the said means whereby the said means become overbalanced upon reception of a billet therein to discharge the billet and are self-retumable to billet receiving position when the said billet is discharged from the said means. e

8. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of means for receiving the billets from the casting instrumentalities and shifting the same to a predetermined discharge position responsively to entrance of a billet into the said means, the said means. comprising a frame into which a billet is adapted to be received, mounting means for the frame posi-- tioned relatively to the frame so that the frame is in stable equilibrium when empty but becomes overbalanced when a billet is received. therein, and releasable latching instrumentalities for the frame operable responsively to a billet entering the frame forreleasing the frame, thereby enabling the frame to turn upon its mounting means to dump the billet therefrom, the said latching mechanism automatically re-latching the frame upon return of the frame to billet receiving position.

9. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a continuous casting furnace for casting the metal, means associated with the furnace for cutting the metal into billets, conveyor mechanism for removing the billets from the furnace, and turnably mounted means adjacent to the cutting means for receiving the billets as severed from the casting and for directing the billets upon the conveying mechanism responsively to turning the said means into billet discharging position.

10. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a continuous casting furnace for castingthe metal, means associated with the furnace for cutting the metal into billets, conveyor mechanism for removing the billets from the furnace, turnably mounted guide means adjacent to the cutting means for receiving the billets as severed from the casting and for directing the billets upon the conveying mechanism responsively to turning of the said means into billet discharging position, and feeding mechanism intermediate the said turnably mounted guide means and the conveyor for Supplying billets to the conveyor at predetermined timed intervals.

11. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a plurality of continuous casting furnaces for casting the metal, and defining a plurality of operating stations, means associated with the furnaces for cutting the metal into billets, conveyor mechanism for removing the billets from the locations of the furnaces, turnably mounted guide means adjacent to the cutting means for receiving the billets as severed from the casting furnaces and for directing the billets upon the conveying mechanism responsively to turning of the said means into billet discharging position, and feeding mechanism conimon to the operating stations and positioned intermediate the turnably mounted guide means and the conveyor, the said feeding mechanism including means for feeding the billets at each station to the conveyor in predetermined staggered time intervals.

12. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a plurality of continuous casting furnaces for casting the metal, and defining a plurality of operating stations, means associated with the furnaces for cutting the metal into billets, conveyor mechanism for removing the billets from the locations of the furnaces, turnably mounted guide means adjacent to the cutting means for receiving the billets as severd from the casting furnaces, and for directing the billets upon the conveying mechanism responsively to turning of the said means into billet discharging position, and feeding mechanism common to the operating stations and positioned intermediate the turnably mounted guide means and the conveyor, the said feeding mechanism including a drive shaft, a plurality of pairs of cams on the said shaft, there being a pair of cams at each station having corresponding billet pick-up means, the said pickup means of each pair of cams being staggered with respect to the remaining pairs of cams.

13. Apparatus for producing metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, a plurality of casting furnaces located at a multiple of operating stations for continuously.

casting the metal, means for continuously withdrawing solidified cast metal from the casting furnaces, instrumentalities for cutting the cast metal into billets, mechanism for machining the cast billets, conveying mechanism for conveying the billets from the said operating stations to the said machining mechanism, turnably mounted guide means for receiving the billets directly from the cutting instrumentalities and for discharging the said billets substantially lengthways relative to the conveyor, and feeding mechanism common to the operating stations and positioned intermediate the turnably mounted guide means and the conveyor, the said mechanism including a drive shaft, and cam devices on the drive shaft at each station, the cam devices being provided with peripheral recesses adapted to engage the billets and to pick-up and deposit the billets successively upon the conveyor.

14. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising, in combination, means for continuously transforming molten metal into a solid rod of predetermined diameter, instrumentalities for cutting the rod' as it is produced into billets of predetermined length, conveyor mechanism for receiving the billets and taking them to a selected station, and means for directly receiving the billets from the cutting instrumentalities and transferring the billets to the conveying mechanism. I

15. Apparatus, according to claim 14 wherein the billet-receiving means is self-shiftable between billet-receiving and billet-discharging positions.

16. Apparatus for producing metallic billets billet-receiving and billet-discharging positions responsively to receiving a billet andto discharging the billet, respectively.

17. Apparatus for producing metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of means for directly receiving the billets from the casting instrumentalities, the said means being adapted to pass from billetreceiving position to billet-discharging position responsively to receiving a billet from the casting instrumentalities thereby delivering the billets to a predetermined discharge station.

18. Apparatus for producing metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of receiving means for receiving the billets from the casting instrumentalities, the said means being shiftable between stable and unstable equilibrium responsively to receiving and discharging billets therefrom.

19. Apparatus for producing metallic billets comprising the combination with billet casting instrumentalities, of a cage for receiving the billets from the casting instrumentalities, the said cage being automatically self-shiftable between stable and unstable equilibrium responsively to receiving and discharging billets therefrom, and holding means for holding the cage in stable equilibrium during intervals when the cage is empty, the said holding means being released automatically responsively to a billet entering the cage.

20. Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets by continuous casting comprising,

determined length, conveyor mechanism for re-= ceiving the billet, and taking them to a selected station, .and transfer means for receiving the billets from the cutting instrumentalities and transferring the said billets onto the conveyor at a predetermined rate.

21.-Apparatus for producing and handling metallic billets comprising, in combination, mechanism for transforming molten metal into billets, metal-working means, conveyor mechanism for conveying the billets from the billet-forming mechanism to the metal-working means, and guide means for receiving the billets and guiding them onto the conveyor at a predetermined rate adjusted to prevent overcrowding of the billets at the metal-working means.

' KARL A. LINDNER.

BARTEL DI SANTO. 

